The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in internal combustion engines and the following listed U.S. patents afford a background understanding of the prior art as presently known by applicant:
______________________________________ 1 005 118 Rabsiliber Oct 3, 1911 1 244 566 White Oct 30, 1917 1 623 940 Mader Apr 5, 1927 2 446 280 Hancock Aug 3, 1948 2 670 726 Spannhake Mar 2, 1954 ______________________________________
The Mader patent is pertinent in that it discloses use of a block to increase the compression rate of a cylinder. However, this block is attached to a concave portion of the cylinder head of an engine, and this presents several problems which are difficult to overcome. Normally, an engine cylinder head is formed as a casting and only that part of the head which engages the head gasket is machined. The concave portion to which the Mader block is attached has a rough casting surface, and it is not likely that every concave portion for a particular cylinder is exactly indentical in surface contour to the concave portion for other cylinders. Thus, every Mader block would have to be hand-fitted to provide adequate surface-to-surface contact with the concave portion of the engine head. This would mean that no two blocks would be exactly alike and therefore it would be extremely difficult to provide for the same compression rate in each cylinder of the engine.
Further, the Mader block, as attached to the cylinder head, could not be used with overhead valve engines, since the valves in the latter as so disposed that no suitable block could be disposed in the combustion chamber.
Various of the other patents listed above disclose some sort of attachment to the top surface of a piston but such attachments are not for the purpose of increasing the compression ratio. Included in the prior art are pistons which have integrally formed protuberances on the top surface of the piston, for the purpose of increasing the compression rate, but these require an investment on the part of the engine owner that is great enough to discourage all but the most rabid or wealthy engine enthusiasts. Such increased expense is brought about not only by reason of the fact that all pistons of an engine would have to be replaced with new ones, but also by reason of the fact that this replacement requires substantially a complete disassembly of the engine.
In contrast, the compression-increasing members of my invention may be installed when only the head of the engine is removed. The pistons already in the engine need not be disturbed, except to bring them up to top dead center for attachment of the compression-increasing members. Further, such members may be manufactured and sold in sets of predetermined various sizes so that a desired compression ratio may be effected merely by selecting a corresponding set of members, and applying them to the top surfaces of the engine pistons.